Super-submarines will allow tourists to explore the world’s seabeds

New style of super-submarine will let people explore the depths of the oceans for the first time

Several firms are designing their own vessels that will allow people to plunge to the deepest depths of the sea for the first time.

Triton have created their own super-submarine that can sustain the
intense pressure of being submerged at up to 3,300 ft below surface.
Pictured above, this super-submarine can seat up to three people.

Sir Richard Branson launched the Virgin Oceanic single-seater submarine back in April. This vessel can go 36,000ft below the surface, cruise for over six miles and remain submerged unaided for 24 hours. However, this is only a single-seater vessel.

The entrepreneur is one of the investors backing super-submarine technology. “More men have been to the moon than have been down further than 20,000 ft,” he said.

UK engineer Graham Hawkes designed a vessel that was been sold to Sir Richard Branson. Called the Deep Flight
Challenger, the craft can reach depths of 11,000 metres. She’s currently being
prepared for a world record dive.

“The pressure hull is made of
a custom-designed carbon fibre, with very thick walls,” he explained.
“Inside, we provide an artificial atmosphere. The pilot is not subjected
to any pressure differences whatsoever.”

“With space long ago reached by man, and commercial space flight tantalisingly close, the last great challenge for humans is to reach and explore the depths of our planet’s oceans,” Mr Branson added. “There are enormous amounts of the oceans that have not been explored.”

Other investors in these super-submarines include James Cameron, director of the Virgin Group, and internet mastermind Eric E Schmidt, who is an executive chairman at Google.

Patrick Lahey, president of Triton Submarines, told the Guardian that vessels which can plunge up to 1,000 metres should be ready for their first journeys in the next few months.